Roasted Cauliflower Two Ways

I've run across two fabulous roasted cauliflower recipes lately.  Big taste, little effort. The first comes from Made in India by Meera Sodha, and the second from Thug Kitchen, both of which I received as gifts. The Indian version is a lovely side to a saucy curry and rice, and the Thug version would be a super side dish if it ever made it that far. Often it is devoured while waiting for the mains to hit the table. It is shown in the book with a peanut dipping sauce, but I like it on its own. The large heads of cauliflower to which I am referring weigh in around 2 pounds.  Use two if yours are tending to be smaller/lighter than this. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Turmeric, and Lemon

1 large head cauliflower, broken into smallish evenly sized florets

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

5 tbsp canola oil

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, and blanch cauliflower for one minute.  Drain completely and let rest for a few minutes.

Grind together (another use for the magic bullet) cumin seeds, salt, chili powder and turmeric.  Add oil.

Toss cauliflower and spiced oil on the oven tray, ensuring cauliflower is fully and evenly coated. 

Roast for approximately 30 minutes, shaking and stirring as necessary, until beginning to brown.

Squeeze lemon over before serving.

Roasted Sriracha Cauliflower

I large head cauliflower, broken into small evenly sized florets

1/2 c flour

1/2 c water

2 tsp oil

1/2-3/4 c sriracha

1/4 rice vinegar

1/2 tsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Whisk together flour and water. Toss with cauliflower until coated, spread cauliflower on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, mixing half way through.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until warm but not bubbling.

Toss cauliflower with hot sauce mixture and return to roast for another 5-7 minutes until warm and slightly crispy.

Genius Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

The kids are addicted to these potatoes. I'll admit, I'm addicted to the cilantro mojo, which is a versatile sauce equally at home over chicken or fish as with these tasty tatties.  This recipe too comes from the Food52 Genius Recipes, a book I highly recommend purchasing. Be patient with these potatoes, they'll take 30-45 minutes depending on your pan width and depth, but if you are patient and vigilant during the final few moments when the water boils off, you won't be disappointed.  The original recipe suggests making the mojo with a mortar and pestle.  I'm too lazy.  I use the magic bullet, although an immersion blender or small chopper or blender would work just as well.  NB. Many of the recipes from this cookbook are available online on the Food52 blog:  www.food52.com.

Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo

2¼ lbs evenly sized waxy new potatoes, such as fingerling, scrubbed but unpeeled
2 tbsp sea salt flakes

3 large garlic cloves
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded 
Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
Scant ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sea salt flakes

Potatoes: Put potatoes in a shallow pan, ideally where they fit in a single layer. Add sea salt flakes and 1 litre of cold water, bring to a boil, and leave to boil rapidly until the water has evaporated. Turn heat to low and cook for a few more minutes, gently turning the potatoes until they are dry and skins are covered with a layer of salt. (Pan cleanup is a breeze.)

Mojo: Put all remaining ingredients in your magic bullet or blender, and blitz.

Serve potatoes with dipping sauce.

Genius Granola

I make a lot of granola. I like it for breakfast with fresh berries and milk or yogurt, for an afternoon snack, or over ice cream. This recipe is our current favourite, and I suspect it will remain so for some time to come.  It comes from Food52 Genius Recipes. The book is a gem and I highly recommend it. The recipe is adapted from Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil and Maple Granola. What I like best is that it works every time, with little fuss in the making.

Genius Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (not shredded coconut)
1 1/4 cup raw pecan halves, left whole or coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt
dried cherries, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover large baking sheet with parchment.
Place ingredients (except cherries) in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Turn out onto baking sheet and bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool completely, add dried cherries (or other add-ins) if desired, store in sealed container for up to one month.

Best Chicken Stock

David Lebovitz has a wonderful recipe for chicken stock in My Paris Kitchen. The only problem is that it uses a whole chicken, which I'm seldom willing to do. Instead, I tend to keep a ziploc in the freezer for the leftover carcasses from roast chicken dinners. When I have enough on hand, I make a batch of this stock, which is fantastic. (It is also very easy to whip up the night of the roast chicken dinner, when the guests are gone and family is relaxing in from of the TV. Smells wonderful.)
For those times when making stock from scratch is not in the cards, I still recommend Better than Bouillon concentrate, now widely available.

Chicken Stock

2-2 1/2 pounds chicken carcass
3 litres cold water
1 onion, unpeeled and quartered
1 carrot, unpeeled and cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, leaves attached
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs flat leaf parsley
4 sprigs thyme
generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt
10 black peppercorns

Put all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.  (Add water if necessary so chicken is submerged.)
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Freezes well.